This invention relates to artificial hand mechanisms.
Artificial hands can be utilized not only as prosthetic devices but also to enable unmanned manipulation as on unmanned space vechicles or in radioactive areas. Where such hands are to have a plurality of degrees of freedom of movement, such as turning without restriction at the "wrist" and flexing at the wrist, the prior art mechanisms show only complex and large drive devices. For exampe, U.S. Pat. No. 2,640,994 shows an artificial hand which can turn at the wrist as well as pivot, but which utilizes a complex and bulky gear train for coupling a motor located far above the wrist to drives that move the fingers, flex the hand at the wrist, and turn the hand at the wrist.